Amy Shark up for APRA Song of the Year

Gold Coast musician Amy Shark will go up against legendary songwriter Paul Kelly and Sydney's Gang of Youths for the Song of the Year at Australia's annual APRA Awards.

It's the second year in a row Shark has been nominated in this category. Last year her song Adore lost out to D.D/Dumbo's Satan but this year she's back in it with her song Weekends.

The prestigious awards, which celebrate songwriters, crowned electronic musician Flume Songwriter of the Year last year.

This year's most nominated artist is Shark's fellow Gold Coaster, songwriter and producer M-Phazes (real name Mark Landon) who leads the awards with four nominations for his collaborations with Shark and Illy.

Shark and M-Phazes worked together on the singer/songwriter's break-out hit Adore, the surprise runner-up on the triple J Hottest 100, which has been nominated for Pop Work of the Year and Most Played Australian Work.

It's clearly the year of the producer as the awards have recognised the work of producer/songwriter PJ Harding (previously known as Thief) who has also been nominated four times for songs written for pop star Jessica Mauboy and hip-hop group Bliss n Eso.

Young artists including Melbourne's Alex Lahey and Sydney's Vera Blue are up for Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, which went to global superstar Troye Sivan last year.

All the nominees will be put out of their misery at the awards ceremony in Sydney 's ICC on April 10.